MRI Scans Causing Nasty Material to Form Inside Body, Scientists Find

Image by Getty / Futurism Studies Scientists believe they may have found the reason why some patients get so sick from the contrast dye they're injected with before magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. As a University of New Mexico (UNM) press release explains, researchers at the institution's medical school believe they've found a link between oxalic acid — a molecule found in foods as disparate as sweet potatoes, spinach, chocolate and almonds, as well as some Vitamin C supplements — and the toxic building of gadolinium, the heavy metal element used in contrast dyes that works with an MRI's magnetic field to help doctors see internal organs on scans. While researchers have long known that patients sometimes have reactions to gadolinium dye, the link to foods rich in oxalic acid is new — and could, if further substantiated, help doctors and MRI technicians avoid adverse events big and small. Though the vast majority of patients who are injected with the colorless, scentless liq ... Read full article.